Jeremy Corbyn made the appointment after his party's MPs warned that his
failure to appoint someone could undermine his leadership

Jeremy Corbyn appointed a “director of rebuttal” after a series of gaffes which culminated in a cameraman being injured outside his home.

Mr Corbyn’s team said he had employed Neale Coleman as his Director of Policy and Rebuttal.

Mr Coleman has worked as an advisor to Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone in London’s City Hall.

The Labour leader made the appointment after his party’s MPs warned that his failure to appoint a “spin doctor” was undermining his leadership.

Members of the press remonstrate with Jeremy Corbyn

It came as it emerged that a BBC cameraman ended up in hospital after a confrontation with a government driver outside Mr Corbyn’s house.

James Webb, who had been filming the Labour leader leaving his home, was pictured wearing a neck brace after the incident. The BBC said he had “sustained some injuries” while the Department for Transport confirmed it was investigating.

Witnesses said Mr Webb’s camera was pushed into his face after a scuffle with journalists and photographers.

Scores of Labour figures have in recent days piled pressure on Mr Corbyn to appoint a press advisor after a series of embarrassing gaffes.

Senior Labour MPs – including shadow cabinet members – told The Telegraph the Islington North MP had to build his top team urgently with one warning he will “undermine himself and the party” if he fails.

Picture of BBC cameraman James Webb in neck-brace on stretcher in hospital overnight after hurt outside Corbyn home pic.twitter.com/saSSg0DhFE

The shadow cabinet minister added: “At the end of the day it shouldn’t take a £100,000 a year media advisor to tell you to sing the national anthem or do your top button up – that should be obvious. But it’s about time he appointed someone now. He needs to stop acting like the leader of a campaign group and start acting like the leader of the Labour Party and representing the views of all the people in our party – not just a handful.”

One Labour Party aide said: “None of us have worked with him before and most of the top layers of the press office have quit or left, there are only the lower rungs left.”

It comes after a series of embarrassing mistakes including Mr Corbyn’s refusal to sing the national anthem – and subsequent U-turn – and his decision not to attend big media interviews over the weekend.

His MPs are frustrated that reports have focused on their leader’s views on Nato and Trident and that policy announcements have been missed – including a £10 living wage plan.

Mr Coleman advised on “Olympic and Paralympic legacy” for Mr Johnson.

It has also emerged that Ed Miliband coached Mr Corbyn ahead of his first appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday.

The former Labour leader is understood to have been behind Mr Corbyn’s decision to crowd-source questions to put to the Prime Minister.

A spokesman for the former Labour leader said: “They discussed the need to find a better way to use PMQs to hold the Prime Minister to account. Ed was very clear that the usual system was not effective and not a good advert for politics.”

The 45-minute phone call happened last week and Mr Miliband is also said to have shared tips on how to handle the pressure at the weekly event.

A source close to Mr Corbyn’s team has also suggested that the new leader could have even more radical plans to overhaul PMQs up his sleeve – including regional events between the opposition leader and the Prime Minister to make parliament more inclusive.